Josey Life Line

Why we need to encourage others especially our young people.

I was recently involved in a Mentoring Program for young women at RM Bailey Senior High School in the Bahamas, and I was encouraged by the fact that these young women devoted their lunch time to listen to me talk about having a vision and charting their lives.

This experience made me realize that a bit of encouragement goes a long way. Their Guidance Counselor- Mrs. Andrea Eve was there every week encouraging them to attend. She even arranged lunch for them for the ten weeks of the program, and offered tokens for those who presented the best vision board and for attendance. Below Christina Robinson of RM Bailey Senior High presents her Vision Board.

We have to continuously find the opportunity to encourage others. Encouragement must have meaning, according to Nicky Gumbel …’Encouragement is not flattery or empty praise; it is like verbal sunshine. It costs nothing and warms other people’s hearts and inspires them with hope and confidence in their faith. .’

Make a difference in someone’s life by encouraging them, whether it is on the job or at home, especially the young people. So many of our young people have no idea of how to plan their lives, they have children at an early age, they get involved in situations way over their heads, they get involved with the wrong company of friends, and when they do get a job they do not even know how to fit in. Our young people and even those persons who may be struggling need to know they are going on the right track and you can make a difference in their lives.

At one time in my job someone said ‘why should I encourage or appreciate anyone, no one encourages or appreciates me?’ Even managers sometimes find it hard to encourage their employees because they are of the view that they are there to do a job and they are getting paid for that. so they do not need any further encouragement. They do not realize that these are the right opportunities to encourage people, thereby enhancing performance for both employee and the company.

Today I urge you to encourage somebody, do not wait for someone to encourage you first. As you continue to encourage people you will feel more appreciated and more people will start to encourage and appreciate you.

If you were asked to share your story during your lunch hour to help a young person/woman, would you help?

Some people when asked to give up their lunch hour come up with all kinds of excuses – the traffic – it will take me more than one hour to get to you, I use my hour to do personal stuff, I have some work to complete, and the list goes on. Others would shy away from telling their story. However, this is exactly what our young people especially young women need. They need to hear and see that someone had the same challenges they are having and that they were able to overcome their challenges and find their true purpose or even do something meaningful with their life.

On May 7, 2013 coordinated by Mrs. Andrea Eve of RM Bailey Senior High, six (6) Bahamian women – Mrs. Alana McCartney – Senior Human Resource Manager – Scotiabank – Bahamas; Mrs. Emily Williams- Entertainer & Beauty Salon Proprietor; Captain Gwendolyn Ritchie – Bahamasair; Ghandi Pinder -Radio Personality at Gems Radio and Public Relations Manager for Frankie’s Gone Bananas and Bamboo Shack; and Dr. Saria Sears and Dr. Taliethia Johnson-Minnis – (not in picture) took their lunch time to share their experiences with approximately thirty (30) young women at R.M Bailey Senior High School – Bahamas. They were asked to share how they got into their career, the challenges and what would the girls require if they had a desire to get into that specific profession.

The wealth of knowledge and experience was awesome. The girls heard about commitment, self-Discipline, perseverance, patience, being focus, having a purpose, having passion and putting God first. They also learnt about conduct and never giving up.

There is something there for each us. Sometimes we just need another person to open our ears and eyes so we can hear and see an example. We need to know that despite our challenges we can do our part in life. I recently read the following story about the water bearer from one of Nicky Gumbel’s daily writings:

‘A water-bearer in India had two large pots, both hung on the ends of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot always arrived half full.
The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water-bearer one day by the stream:
‘I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts.’
The bearer said to the pot, ‘Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.’
Thank God, you do not need to be perfect for God to use you. We all want to be useful. We want our lives to count for something.’

You can be useful by sharing your story to change the life of a young person or young woman.

Place your comments and tell us your story (how did you decide on your career/profession, what were your challenges and if someone was interested in that field what are the requirements) so we can share and make a difference for the future generation.